Newsweek went out of its way to showcase a blatantly sexist cover shot of Palin wearing running shorts. In an interview on the “Today’’ show, the magazine’s managing editor was blunt about the rationale behind the decision: “I don’t think this is an image that is taken out of context, especially when you consider what the point of the story was: to raise these questions about her seriousness.’’
In case anyone missed the point, the headline drove it home: “How Do You Solve a Problem Named Sarah? She’s Bad News for the GOP and Everyone Else, Too.’’
Palin’s book, “Going Rogue’’ is subject to fact-checking beyond the usual for a campaign tell-all. There’s a full-court effort to defend John McCain’s aides against Palin’s anecdotes of how they supposedly did her wrong.
Beyond the book reviews, there’s a website devoted to “Palinisms,’’ others showing her in bathing suits, and one pitching a Sarah Palin sex doll.
It seems out of proportion for a woman who no longer holds public office and isn’t considered presidential material by a healthy majority of Americans. Palin is a super-celebrity who attracts thousands along her book tour and helped Oprah generate her biggest audience in years. An audience of millions would tune in to watch her on “Dancing With the Stars.’’
But she won’t be waltzing into the White House. For a very brief moment in political history she looked like trouble for the Democrats. Then, her lack of intellectual heft undercut the spin. Nothing McCain or his people did or didn’t do could change that reality. Palin can’t turn back time to recapture the appealing brand depicted in the first chapter of her book: popular, first-term governor, reformer, and mother who was offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to “make history.’’
After 2008, she isn’t a serious presidential contender. So why do so many people take her seriously enough to keep kicking below the belt?
I don't agree about Palin not being a serious presidential contender. She has the popular support every candidate needs to run for POTUS. She certainly has an advantage over candidates like Romney and Huckabee who lost the GOP nomination to McCain.
If the mocked and despised part sound familiar, it’s because at one time they also applied to Hillary Clinton, a fellow survivor of “Saturday Night Live’’ humor.
Before she was secretary of state, Clinton was a presidential candidate depicted as a witch on the Drudge Report.
The former first lady and US senator was the prototype for the Hillary Nutcracker, which featured a pantsuit-wearing Clinton doll who opens her legs to do what nutcrackers do. On MSNBC, Chris Matthews called Clinton a “she-devil.’’ She was compared to the Glenn Close character in the movie “Fatal Attraction’’ - the character who has an affair and then turns into a deranged stalker when the guy calls it off.
Republican consultant Roger Stone founded an anti-Clinton group with an unprintable and misogynistic acronym.
Clinton is a Wellesley and Yale-educated liberal Democrat with little in common with Palin, except their obvious shared sisterhood.
The two would have a lot to talk about if they ever had that cup of coffee Clinton said she would be willing to share.
They could discuss hardball politics and sexism. Liberals and conservatives both know it when they see it.
I hate to say it but I don't think Palin is a serious contender for POTUS any longer. While I understand her motives for leaving office I don't believe it was a smart move if she wanted to ever take a run at the Oval Office. If she believed that because this country voted in Omoron with his limited experience they would vote HER in with limited experience, she misjudged people. She forgot one thing - SHE is a woman and women have to work 10 times as hard as men to succeed in accomplishing the same goals.
Don't get me wrong, I like Palin and have a lot of respect for her. If she stayed involved deep inside politics, got some additional experience, and worked it for a few more years in order to take a run at 2016, I'd support her. 2012 is too soon - I don't believe she is quite ready. She will NEVER equal Hillary though - not even close.